Old man Johnson mines gold on his land which is stolen
from him by the Slim O'Hara gang. They threaten his gold, his life and the deed
to the property. O'Hara targets the neighboring land. But he and his gang are
met with resistance in the form of prairie Tough Guys: Shorty, Ben, Sam and Jonathan
Ignatius Salvatore ‘Biggy’ Jones..

Hollywood was suffering its own crises at home during
this period. Forced to divest itself of its theatre chains they also faced a
post-war slump in the audiences who were now finding their entertainment in
other sources, especially television. The various measures set up in Europe to
negate a perceived attempt at American domination actually proved a blessing in
disguise for the Hollywood studios. After attempting a number of underhanded
schemes to access boxoffice funds frozen on the continent, the studios finally
relented and began investing in European films. Believing that spectacle would
lure audiences back to cinemas, they found Europe offered the scenery required
for such exotic epics and that production crews were not only capable but
comparatively inexpensive. For a time the giant Cinecitta studios in Rome were
known as ‘Hollywood on the Tiber’ due to the number of what would be referred
to as ‘runaway’ American productions shooting there. The Hollywood studios also
carefully met any requirement for such films to be declared ‘French’,
‘Italian’, ‘British’ or wherever they were shooting in order to receive the due
government inducements such as tax minimisations and subsidies offered by that
particular country. Although Britain was reluctant to join any pan-European
co-production agreements, they also benefited from American involvement, with
Hollywood investment paving the way for a number of successful films in the
1960s that were ostensibly British but backed with American finance. In fact,
American involvement was so important in Britain that when it was withdrawn
late in that decade the British industry ground to a halt, subsisting through
much of the 1970s on low budget exploitation product. The success of European
genre films in the 1960s also allowed for a number of small distributors in the
United States to expand rapidly by importing these films at low cost to an
appreciative American youth market, who had become the most important audience
for the Hollywood studios. A company such as AIP made a fortune by cheaply
acquiring the distribution rights to Goliath and the Barbarians (1959: Carlo
Campogallianni) and after similar successes then began financing European
productions.

Even within the confines of the action genre the
co-produced film would move through various cycles and forms, mimicking
successful Hollywood hits or even finding variations on their own profitable
formulas. From peplums to gothic thrillers, westerns to detective thrillers,
espionage adventures to softcore pornography, it became a business of gambles
and speculations, whether a producer could jump aboard a particular genre when
it was popular with audiences and if they knew it was time to move on before
the audience tired of that particular formula.

From the early 1960s, there was a surge in the number of
films co-produced by companies in two or more countries, particularly within
Europe. Although their initial aim was for Continental success, many found
their way to the United States, often through the distribution arms of the
major Hollywood studios, who found them to be ideal product for cheaply
buffering their release schedules. The derision for the international
co-production from critics in the United States and Britain stemmed from a
number of factors. A New York Times review of The Viscount (1970: Maurice
Cloche), a West German-French-Spanish co-produced espionage thriller partly set
in the USA was typical in relaying several of the prejudices which could be
expressed in a short-hand fashion in many reviews for such productions:

“[The Viscount] pretends to the title and the class of a
high-born Bond-type picture and all it is is a low-grade gangster film-so low
that it thinks Jersey City was the height of elegance as a center of crime in
years gone by. Charge that up to the fact that it is one of those European
sausage films – ground out by a group of co-producers representing West
Germany, France and Spain-and you know what usually happens when the Europeans
try to show how wise they are about America….it is the sort of picture they’d
be strongly inclined to brush under the rug in Hollywood-or quickly sell to
television for burial on the late night shows.” (Crowther).

Within this review is the belief that the film is
attempting to defraud the audience, by modeling itself on a genre created,
refined and perfected by British and American filmmakers (in this case, the
high-class spy thriller). It tries to present a familiarity with the American
milieu, yet its background reveals it an imposter in Hollywood guise. The
reviewer displays a possible xenophobic streak in his distrust of European
comment of American issues (and seems to feel that the newspaper’s readership
agrees). The film’s international pedigree is described in a manner that
implies financial considerations over artistic ambition (referring to producers
rather than a director), with no singular national vision. That it was ‘ground
out’ demeans the film as a low-grade factory created product, but one without
any class, skill or even pretence to art. The inclusion of “one of those”
indicates a pre-supposed knowledge on behalf of the readership in that that
they are well-aware of this type of film and its inherent traits. Finally, in a
direct comparison with Hollywood product, The Viscount is assessed as being so
inferior as to being worthy of the then lowest and last rung of mainstream
exhibition – late night television. [To be continued]

Jaime Blanch Montijano was
born in Collado Villalba, Madrid, Spain on September, 9, 1940. Jaime was born
into a family of artists, in which his parents were two known actors, José
[1904-1996] and Concha Montijano. His aunt and uncle were also engaged in
acting and were very popular, they being Montserrat Blanch [1903-1995] and
Modesto Blanch [1909-1990].

Most likely influenced by
the environment around him, Jaime began his acting career at an early age. He
has an extensive professional background in television and in film, but may be
considered primarily a stage actor.

His debut, which took place
at the age of 12, in 1952, was in the film "Gloria Mairena" by Luis
Lucia, which he followed up the next year in, "God 's War" by Rafael
Gil, and "Jeromín", again with Luis Lucia, who would later work on
other titles such as "Andalusian Knight", "Un marido de
ida y vuelta” and “Ha llegado un ángel”.

Blanch has appeared in many
films with some of the most renowned directors of his time, as in Antonio del
Real’s "Araña y cierra España", in Pedro Maso “La
familia, bien, gracias”, and Alex de la Iglesia in“Acción mutante” and “El día de la bestia”. In appearing in two Euro-westerns
he used the Americanized alias Bob Johnson for his role as Hurricane in “The
Son of Django” (1967) and his real name in 1968’s “Killer Adios” where he
played a prisoner.

As for television, Jaime
started working in it in the early 1960s, starring in many of the plays that
were issued as part of shows like "Studio 1", "Fiction",
"Tengo un libro en las manos” and "Teatro de siempre".

On stage the actor has a
great track record. Being impossible to list all the works he has starred in,
highlighting just some as “Angelina o el honor de un brigadier”, “La venganza
de don Mendo”, “Una visita inesperada”, “La alondra”, “Medea”, “Crimen
perfecto” and ”Aquí un amigo” which he directed himself.

Blanch ws married to the
actress Marta Puig [1943- ] and then María José Moreno with whom he had two
sons born in 1967 and 1971.

Agnès Spaak
was born on April 29, 1944 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Saine, France. Agnès
is the granddaughter the politician Paul-Henri Spaak, the daughter of
photographer, screenwriter Charles Spaak [1903-1975] and actress Claudie
Cleves, she is the older sister of actress Catherine Spaak [1945- ]. Sometimes
credited as Anna Malsson, Spaak appeared in films and television
between 1962 and 1974. She left her career as an actress in the mid-1970s, to
follow in her father’s footsteps as a photographer.

In 1975 Agnès
moved to Milan where she began to work more as a photographer for fashion
companies and the publishing house Edilio Rusconi, with whom she collaborated
for many years. She then moved to Hachette.

Agnès
appeared in 22 films among which were six westerns including “Killer Caliber
.32” (1967), “God Made Them, I Kill Them” (1968) and “Hey Amigo, to Your Death”
(1970).

Reinhardt
Koldehoff was born on April 29, 1914 in Berlin, Germany. The son of a postman
initially attended the High School and later took private acting lessons with
the acquisition of extras roles at the Grosses Schauspielhaus and the State
Opera, in his hometown. In 1936, Kolldehoff made his debut in the National
Theatre Altenburg. In 1941, he appeared in the Heinz Riihmann movie “Der
Gassmann” his first small movie appearance.

After the war
Kolldehoff belonged to the ensemble of the Berlin Hebbel Theater until 1948.
Also in the following years he was on stage including since 1955 as the Hamburg
Schauspielhaus under Gustaf. However Kolldehoff turned his attention
increasingly to a movie career. From 1948, he initially appeared in several
films of the East German DEFA, in Erich Engels “Affaire Blum”, Wolfgang
Staudtes “Rotation” (1949) and as a returning soldier in Hans Mueller comedy

“Bürgermeister Anna” (1950).

Then Kolldehoff
made a film career in West German in international films (here he was often
billed as René Kolldehoff). He worked with such actors as Kirk Douglas, Lee
Marvin, Catherine Deneuve, Marianne Koch, Hans Albers, O.W, Fischer, Hardy
Kruger, Richard Widmark, Roger Moore, William Holden, Jane Birkin, Marlene Dietrich,
Gérard Depardieu and Alain Delon. Among the film directors with whom he worked,
included Henri Verneuil, Jacques Deray, Claude Chabrol, George Roy Hill,
Edouard Molinaro, José Giovanni, Philippe de Broca and Helmut Käutner.

Kolldehoff
was used almost exclusively in supporting roles. His gigantic stature and his
distinctive voice impressed the public for decades. His appearance predestined
him for appearances as a "movie villain" and especially abroad for
the type of the "ugly German". Although he took many such roles, Reinhard
Kolldehoff was sometimes cast against his usual role type in unfamiliar
contexts.

As a voice
actor he lent among other things, Lex Barker (only in my wife's sake) and Sam
Shepard (in In Days of Heaven ) his voice.

He appeared
in only one Euro-western as René Kolldehoff in “Massacre at Fort Holman” (1972)
as Sergeant Brent. His voice was heard as that of Ivan Novak’s in “Flaming
Frontier” (1965) and Ilija Ivezic in “Rampage at Apache Wells” in the German film
releases.

Reinhardt
dies in Berlin from Parkinson’s disease on November 18, 1995.

Today we
remember Reinhardt Koldehoff on what would have been his 100th
birthday.

Carlo Innocenzi was
born on April 29, 1899 in Monteleone de Spoleto, Umbria, Italy.He moved to Rome, where he worked as a civil
servant in the Ministry of Transport, and graduated in violin following the
course of Remy Principe. He then studied composition under the guidance of
Dobici and Palombi.Innocenzi is
best known as a film composer; he composed over 150 film scores beginning in
1933. From 1958 till his death, he focused on peplum (sword and sandal) film
scores.

Innocenzi also
composed several pop songs, and some of them were not only commercial hits but
also became instant classics, notably "Mille lire al mese" and
"Valeria ragazza poco seria". He was married to Sonia Pearlwing, who
under the name of Marcella Rivi was the author of the lyrics for several songs
composed by him.

Innocenzi composed
the score for one Euro-western “The Terror of Oklahoma” (1959).

Carlo died in Rome,
Italy on March 24, 1962.

Today we remember
Carlo Innocenzi on what would have been his 115th birthday.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Micheline Dax actress, who has made a successful career
in theater and film, primarily in comedies, died Sunday April 27, 2014 in
Paris. Born Micheline Josette Renée Etevenon on March 3,1924 in Paris, Île de
France, she was one of the queens of French comedy. She was 90 years old. After
completing studies at the Simon, she became a stage, radio, TV and voice
actress. She was the voice of Miss Piggy, of the famous TV ‘Muppet Show’ and
Ursula in “The Little Mermaid”, Calamity Jane on the 1984 ‘Lucky Luke’ TV
series and Maa sheep in “Babe”. Dax was very popular on television in the 1970s
and 1980s, she was a regular guest on game shows including "Les Jeux de 20
Heures" and "l'Académie des neuf".

She was married to actor Jacques Bodoin since 1960,
Michelle Dax leaves behind a daughter, actress and TV host Veronique Bodoin.
She was awarded Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, she also made a
chevalier of the Légion d'honneur in 2012.

A stranger arrives in the western town of Torrejón City.
He is thought to be outlaw ‘El Malo’ and the town is about to lynch him when
the truth is learned. He is really a sheriff and is used as bait to capture the
outlaw.

Nicholas
‘Neil’ Summers was born on April 28, 1944 in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.
His father Walter Summers was a champion bicycle rider and the family moved to
Phoenix, Arizona when Neil was 14. He worked on TV’s ‘Gunsmoke’ from 1971-1974
as an extra and stuntman. “It’s all I’ve ever done for over forty years,”
Summers said. “I grew up watching all the cowboys on TV. I just wanted to be a
cowboy in the movies. I had no interest in staying inside. I started working as
an extra and they eased me up.”

Neil
played Snake River Rufus Krile in the 1972 film “The Life and Times of Judge
Roy Bean”. He was spotted by director Sergio Leone who hired him for the role
of Squirrel in “My Name is Nobody” (1973). He quickly became friends with actor
Terence Hill and has appeared in seven of Hill’s films and television series
including “Lucky Luke” (1990) as Deputy Virgil and the TV series of the same
name, “Troublemakers” (1994) as Dodge and Hill’s most recent TV westerns ‘Doc
West’ and ‘Triggerman’ (2008).

Today
Neil is still going strong as stunt coordinator on the TV series ‘Longmire’.

Kurt Böwe was born on April
28, 1929 in Reetz, Brandenburg, Germany.Kurt was one of six
children of a Reetzer peasant family. Already in his youth he was interested in
literature and the theater, so in 1949 after he graduated from high school he
took the entrance exam at the drama school of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin.
Receiving approval, he studied from 1950 to 1954 German Literature and Theatre
Studies at the Institute for Theatre Studies at the Humboldt University in Berlin
to start an academic career. After his studies, he worked six years as an
assistant at the University, where he lectured in theater history and drama. He
also played at the student theater, where the then head, Horst Schönemann, persuaded
him to pursue acting.

After he had turned to
acting, his first engagement in 1961 led him to the Maxim Gorki Theater. Then
for a short time at the Volksbühne Berlin, then an engagement at the National
Theatre Hall, before he retired in 1973 on the stage of the Deutsches Theater
in Berlin. From 1973 to 1997 he belonged to the local Ensemble and became at
that time one of the most famous and popular performers.

In Berlin in 1961 he
started his film and television work, initially in small roles such as in
Konrad Wolf's DEFA “Ich war neunzehn”, and later in main roles, such
as the Wolf film “Der nackte Mann auf dem Sportplatz” in 1973. His portrayal of
the sculptor Kemmel earned him the breakthrough as a film actor and made him
known nationally and internationally. This was followed by countless other film
and television activities. He appeared in one Euro-western “Bluehawk” (1979) as
Juhn Ruster.

With his distinctive voice,
he was also a voice actor and announcer in about 150 radio plays.

Bowe was in 1969 awarded
the art prize of the GDR. In 1989 he was awarded the National Prize of the GDR
, First Class for art and literature.

Bowe died on June 14, 2000
in Berlin, Germany.

Today we remember Kurt Böwe
on what would have been his 85th birthday.

Donatas
Yuosovich Banionis was born on April 28, 1924 in Kaunas, Lithuania. Banionis
began his career with some films in Lithuania, but he would later play mainly
in Russian language films. He has also worked outside the U.S.S.R. like in the
title role Goya of the USSR-GDR coproduction “Goya - oder Der arge Weg der
Erkenntnis” (1971), directed by Konrad Wolf and in the title role as Beethoven
in the 1976 DEFA-production “Beethoven - Tage aus einem Leben”. He is best
known in the West for his performance in the lead role of Tarkovsky's “Solaris”
as Kris Kelvin. Donatas appeared in one Euro-western as Gabriel Conroy in
“Armed and Dangerous” (1977).

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Spanish heartthrob Antonio Pica Serrano died in
a hospital in El Puerto de Santa María, Andalucia, Spain on April 26, 2014. He was 83. Born on
March 21, 1931 in Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Andalucía Spain. After military
service he worked on oil rigs and as a diver, until he was discovered when he
was discovered by a producer from Moro Studios. Pica went on to appear in more
than 70 films, TV series and commercials. Because of his American looks he
appeared in such international co-productions as “The Fall of the Roman Empire”
(1964) and “Travels With My Aunt” (1972). Pica appeared in 14 Euro-westerns
such as: “Fistful of Dollars”, “Django Kill” “For a Few Bullets More”, “Ringo
the Lone Rider”, “A Bullet for Sandoval”, “Two Crosses at Danger Pass”. More
recently Antonio came out of retirement in 2012 to appear in the Euro-western
short film ”The Cockroach” directed by Manuel Ruiz. Married four times he
leaves five children.

-"The Ghost of Jesse James," indie television
production of 13 half-hour episodes, produced by Sesión, is scheduled to begin
shooting. Series is directed and written by Jose Ulloa. Patty Shepard and Craig
Hill will topline.

- First announced in the weekly 'Variety' newspaper,
December, 1991, 'The Ghost of Jesse James' was to have started filming that
same month. Director Jose Ulloa had cut his teeth as an assistant on such
spaghetti westerns as '... Around Him Was Death', 'Saranda','El Puro,' 'Four Candles for My Colt', 'Too
Much Gold for one Gringo' and 'Ten Killers Came from Afar'. He probably met
actor Craig Hill, while they both had worked on the war pic, 'When Heroes Die'
(US) / 'Suicide Mission' (UK) / 'Consigna: matar al comandante en jefe' /
'Commando di Spie' (1970, José Luis Merino). A few years later when Ulloa came
to make his directorial debut on the thriller 'Refuge of Fear' / 'El refugio
del miedo' (1974), he choose Mr. Hill as well as Ms. Shepard to star. A decade
or two later, with financing from the company that had made his previous film,
'Andalucía chica' (1988), Mr. Ulloa set out to make his own western. This
unsold television pilot offered the above trio (Ulloa, Hill & Shepard) a
second chance to work together. From the title alone it's hard to ascertain the
plot. It was probably set in the present day, with Mr. Hill being a frontier
variation of both 'Topper' and the Monte Markham series, 'The Second
HundredYears'. Casting-wise it wouldn't
have mattered much that thereal 'Jesse'
had died at the age of 35, as Craig would still have cut a splendid
ghostly-figure, as an older worldly version of the infamous gunslinger. Too bad
the series never came to fruition, as it could have made a fine ending to Mr.
Hill's long career as a spaghetti leading man. Sadly both Ms. Shepard and Mr.
Hill are now both gone.

We continue our search for film locations for “Texas
Addio” (aka “The Avenger”). After Burt disposes of the assassin he returns to
his horse and finds his brother Jim sitting on a rock playing a banjo. Jim
insists on going with Burt to find the murderer of their father and will not
take no for an answer. Burt relents and as they start out Jim asks where they
are headed. Mexico Burt replies and Jim cracks a smile. “Mexico!”

The location of the shootout and meeting with Burt and Jim
is again in Hoyo de Manzanares just north of the location of Golden City the
town set used in “Fistful of Dollars” and many other early Euro-westerns.
You’ll see a paved street with several foundations which were used in the Peter
Lee Lawrence gangster film “Tiempos de Chicago” (1969). Just beyond it are the
rocks pictured. You’ll also see the mountain which can be seen behind the Rojo
hacienda in ‘Fistful”.

Dominique
Jacqueline Angele Boschero was born on April 27, 1934 in Paris, Île-de- France,
France. She is the sister of producer, actor Martial Boschero.Dominique spent her childhood in Italy
with her grandparents until the age of 15, when she returned to Paris. In
France, she first worked as a maid in a clinic, and then as a seamstress,
finally, thanks to her beauty as a model.

At
the age of 18, she made ​​her debut on the stage of the music hall Paris La
Nouvelle Eve which started her acting career, making small appearances.

Following
an interview with the Italian newspaper Epoca, opened the eyes of Italian producers
and she began her film acting career in Italy where she appeared it several
films.

She
began a romantic relationship with Italian actor Claudio (Camaso) Volontè (the brother
of Gian Maria Volonte), they were both hit by a scandal of an alleged bomb at
the Vatican. This case and the relationship with the cursed actor, who died by
suicide, greatly harmed her career.

Dominique
appeared in five Euro-westerns from “A Dollar of Fear” (1960) as Sherry to “The
Buzzards and Crows Will Dig Your Grave” (1971) as Myra. She’s probably best
remember for her role in “A Train for Durango” (1967) as Helen with Anthony
Steffen, Mark Damon and Enrico Maria Salerno.

In
1974 she left the cinema and now she lives in a small village in the Valle
Varaita. However, in 1989, she reappeared in the Italian soap opera ‘Passioni’
on Rai Uno.

Jonathan Carver, a former transporter for a mining
company, took advantage of his profession by one day stealing 28 bags of gold.
Sitting in the County Prison for 20 years he has jealously guarded the secret
of the hiding place and now, at the end of his sentence, he is awaited by the gunman
Trash Benson, Mr. Trevers company, and four other greedy bandits. Aided by
Trash and the Mexican Paco, his cellmate, old Carver manages to elude the
bandits and dies of heart failure. Led by a clue found by Molly, the temporary
allies, Trash and Paco, cross the border into Mexico and travel to San Fermin,
the village where the statue of the saint of the same name, fervently worshiped
by the people. Carver has hidden the gold in the statue. However they were
preceded by the revolutionary bandit Firmin Rojas and they themselves are promptly
followed by the bandits. When the battle grows fierce, Trash and Paco risk
their lives over and over again. When all the outlaws are killed and many of
the villagers needlessly sacrificed, Paco deserts Trash; leaves a portion of the
gold to the villagers and runs away from his friend.

Marianne
Stefanie Paula Henni Gertrud Hoppe was born on April 26, 1909 in Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Germany.Hoppe became a leading
lady of stage and films in Germany. She was born into a wealthy land owning
family and was initially privately educated on her father's private estate.
Later she attended school in Berlin and in Weimar, where she began to attend
theatre.

Hoppe
first performed at 17 as a member of Berlin's Deutsches Theater under director
Max Reinhardt. In 1935 she was hired by the controversial German actor and
Director of the Prussian State Theatre under the Third Reich, Gustav Gründgens [1899-1963].
They were married from 1936-1946. One of the characters in the film Mephisto is
based on her. Another is based on Gründgens. Hoppe made no secret of her
contacts with the Nazi elite in the 1930s and 40's, including being invited to
dinner by Hitler. Her role in “Der Schimmelreiter” (“The Rider of the White
Horse”, 1933) made her famous almost overnight, while her "Aryan"
face made her a darling of the Nazi elite. Later Hoppe would label this period
of her life as "the black page in my golden book".

During
her time acting at the home of the Prussian State Theatre, the Schauspielhaus,
Hoppe developed her analytical approach to acting, which she stated consisted
in her "taking apart every sentence" and giving the use of language a
brilliance. This method was to be associated with Hoppe throughout her working
life. 1946 her only child Benedict Hoppe was born from an affair with British
journalist Ralph Izzard.

Four
years later after her divorce from Gründgens, Hoppe had a great success as
Blanche Dubois in Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire, and
increasingly played avant-garde roles, written by authors such as Heiner Muller
(“Quartett”, 1994) and Thomas Bernhard, who became her partner in private life
as well. She became a favorite of the young and iconoclastic directors Claus
Peymann, Robert Wilson and Frank Castorf. She would appear in two
Euro-westerns: “The Treasure of Silver Lake” (1962) as Mrs. Butler and
“Massacre at Marble City” (1963) as Mrs. Brendel.

Hoppe
died in Siegsdorf, Oberbayern, Bavaria, on October 23, 2002 from natural causes,
aged 93.

Today
we remember Marianne Hoppe on what would have been her 105th
birthday.

To any self-respecting, serious film-buff, the term
‘international co-production’ is cause for instant derision and immediate
dismissal. Conjuring up memories of turgid and incomprehensible narratives set
in far-flung corners of the earth and populated with a gallery of
disinterested, fading performers delivering depressingly dreadful dialouge.
Once a staple of 1960s-1970s cinema (and later filling many a late night TV
schedule), such Europuddings are still concocted, but their multi-national
pedigrees are somewhat better disguised.Indeed, if you follow the production histories of many recent Hollywood
blockbusters you will find they are a complex web of financial necessities are
considerations, with input from a consortium of international backers. Tax concessions,
currency exchange rates, available production facilities, appeal to foreign
markets are all woven into the getting a film off the ground. Today’s
international co-production may appear more seamless than those earlier forays
into a true, global cinema, yet such smoothing of the edges has robbed the mode
of its jet-setting soul.

There is little love lost for the original euro-pudding
(or ‘runaway production’ as the trade more kindly described it), however, in a
regular series, I would like to delve into this rather forgotten past and pay
some tribute to the films, their makers and how (and why) they came into being.

For those unfamiliar and those just trying to forget,
perhaps a very brief and potted explanation is in order…

“In the age of political integration, co-productions are
inevitable and necessary. Indeed, they provide the only strategy to boost the
cinema economically and to secure a film’s success at the boxoffice. Worries
that artistic input might suffer in purely economic considerations might be
justified. But much more important is to find the foundations for workable
joint productions with any country in the world which is willing to
co-operate…” – Horst Axtmann in 1967

Following the Second World War the European Cinema was in
a state of crisis. Individual nations were deep in debt, talent had been
decimated and infrastructure destroyed. Assistance to the European countries
from the United States arrived swiftly to both wartime allies and enemies in
the form of loans and rebuilding programs. A number of American films also
arrived on the continent, provided free for educational, inspirational and
entertainment purposes.

During the war, Hollywood lost its once lucrative
European markets. Apart from Britain, the studios were only importing (and
deriving income from) the British Empire, Latin America and a handful of
neutral countries of negligible value. With a number of markets now again
available, the studios leapt into the void created by the war and the dearth of
local product by flooding European cinemas with the backlog of films
accumulated over several years. The American industry was also aided by the
loss, during the war period, of the many practices such as quotas and tariffs
imposed by governments that had restricted the import of foreign (especially
American) films. With the approval by the US government for a legal cartel
formed by the studios to enhance export opportunities, these factors allowed
for a concerted effort by Hollywood to gain a position of power in a vulnerable
European film market. That it was detrimental to the European industries was an
inevitable consequence.

Yet, the European nations fought back. Apart from the
damage to European industry and culture, the American studios were draining
currency from desperately poor nations with little tangible in return.
Restrictions on film imports were implemented and, in an attempt to stem the
currency loss, new regulations were imposed whereby the American companies
could only use such funds (or percentages of them) if they were used for
purposes of production or investment within the European countries. In 1946
Italy and France signed an ‘experimental’ co-production agreement, ratifying it
in 1949. Of the many bi-lateral and more expansive agreements made in the decade
after the war, this was the most successful, producing over 230 films by 1957.
Germany signed with France in 1951, France with Argentina and Spain in 1953,
then with Yugoslavia and Austria two years later. Eventually nearly all of the
filmmaking countries (including smaller nations such as Holland, Hungary,
Sweden and Denmark) of Europe had passed agreements, often with overlap. Each
of these agreements had a complex set of criteria for each participating
company to fulfil in order that the production met the requirements of national
representation within the pact. This process was often tied in with government
initiatives that supported film production, such as subsidies and tax rebates.
Various categories were established (often markedly different over each
agreement) in which the percentage of investment could be evaluated. This would
determine such details as how many performers and crew would be required from
that country and, how many scenes would need to be shot there. Indeed, in many
cases, having a compatriot fulfil a certain high profile position, such as
director, would be regarded highly by the regulators at the expense of some
other, otherwise mandatory, requirements.

When quantified in numbers of pure production, the
co-production method was highly successful. Between 1949-1964 there were 1091
films made involving at least two national partners. Mostly genre films, the
filmmakers adapted quickly to ever-changing market tastes. In the process some
genres such as the German ‘Heimatfilme’ (domestic melodramas of the ‘homeland’)
which were very popular in the 1950s had vanished by the end of the decade.
Action became the key ingredient of the co-production, a selling point that
appealed to audiences across all national boundaries. The concentration of
spectacle also alleviated the reliance upon dialogue, relegating it to general
conversation and exposition. This also strengthened the films’ claims to being
truly pan-European, with post-synchronising (dubbing) of the soundtrack made
easier. Importantly, action-based genre films, especially those featuring
Europe’s most cinematic natural and urban landscapes, could be exported outside
of the continent, including to the lucrative US market. Although not within the
scope of this discussion, it must be noted that many well received films that
played well in the international arthouse market were the product of
co-production details. Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard (1963) was an
Italian-French co-production, as was Francois Truffaut’s Day for Night (1973).
Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900 (1976) was financed through Italian, German, French
and American partners. The system did allow an auteur-cinema to flourish, as
long as the directors were willing to bend to certain pan-national conditions.
[To be continued]

René Blancard was born in Paris,
Île-de-France, France on March 12, 1897. Blancard attended the Conservatory in
Paris where he was enrolled in drama and theater at the Théâtre du
Vieux-Colombier with with Jacques Copeau, and at the Odeon. His career began in
the last years of silent films. His career covered more than forty years and he
appeared in more than 80 films between 1922 and 1965. He wrote the 1954
screenplay for the film “Marchandes d'illusions”. René appeared as the Sheriff
of Big Bend in his only Euro-western, 1958’s “Texas Serenade”.He was married to silent film star Jane
Rollette. René died on November 5, 1965 in Paris.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Stage, TV and voice actor
Peter Schiff died of pneumonia in Berlin, Germany on April 17, 2014. He was 89.
Schiff was born as the son of theater
directors Dr. Hermann Shiff and actress Louise Schulz-Waida. He learned the
acting profession at Marlise Ludwig in Berlin in 1951 and received his first
engagement at the theater in Greiz. In addition to numerous appearances at the
Berlin theater stages, he appeared in many television productions. In the
1960s, Schiff also worked as a spokesperson for radio play productions and
included, among other things, a regular cast of Michael Orth's puppet show
"The Kullerköpfe".

Schiff also worked as
a voice actor translating foreign films into German. In 1968, he lent his voice
to the computer HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Schiff was the German voice of Davor Antolic in "Frontier Hellcat" (1964), Benito Stefanelli in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1966), Allan Collins in "Sabata" (1969), Victor Isreal in "Catlow" (1971), Robert Duvall in "Lawman" (1972).

British cinematographer John Cabrera died on Good Friday April
18, 2014 in Denia Spain at the age of 89.

John photographed many films during his career including
‘Gengis Khan’, ‘Paper Tiger’, ‘The Man Called Noon’ and ‘The Call of the Wild’, 'Captain Apache' 'Truiumphs of a Man Called Horse' 'Yellow Hair and the Fortress of Gold'
as well as undertaking 2nd unit on ‘Conan the Barbarian’ and ‘Caravan to
Vaccares’ amongst others. Elected to the British Society of Cinematographers in
1970, he will be sadly missed by his fellow members.

John was presented a Medal of Honour which was presented
to him by the city of Denia, Spain in recognition of the contributions he had
made to the city’s fortunes when the filming of the Samuel Bronston production,
“John Paul Jones” (1959), as a result of his efforts. This is the first time in
the history that Denia has ever honored one of its citizens in this way.

When the unit arrived to film back in 1958 it caused a
revolution in this sleepy fishing village, bringing American dollars, Coca Cola
and Mia Farrow (daughter of director John Farrow) to a needy population still
suffering the post-war syndrome under the Franco Dictatorship.

Lon Cordeen (Gordon Scott) returns home from the Civil
War and is shocked to discover that his Southern hometown is a site of much
conflict.Lon’s father, Temple Cordeen
(Joseph Cotten), simply cannot accept that the Confederates have lost the
war.Temple rules the locality with an
iron fist and he’s not above lynching any Northerners who come to town with
news of emancipation for his slaves.Furthermore, he’s using his gang of extended family members to forcibly
grab any local land that takes his fancy.When Lon and his brother Hoby (James Mitchum) defy Temple and embark on
a cattle drive venture with Charley Garvey (Franco Nero), the scene is set for
a savagely fought family feud.

Based on an American source story, ‘Guns of North Texas’
by Will Cook, this show’s larger narrative arc contains elements that aren’t
often found in Spaghetti Westerns.Certainly the focus on the ins and outs of family life in the post-Civil
War South and the cattle drive that Lon and Hoby undertake serve to distinguish
this show from most other Italian Westerns.The cattle drive in particular plays an important narrative function
here.Lon and Hoby’s mother wants the
two boys to leave the family home before they become as bitter and hate-filled
as their father and other brothers.At
the same time, Temple wants Lon and Hoby to prove their loyalty by killing
Charley Garvey, a local settler who is courting their sister Bess (Emma
Valloni).

Choosing the most peaceful option, Lon, Hoby, Charley and
Bess take their cattle on a drive North and some really quite epic-looking
scenes involving lots of animal wrangling follow.Most of the cattle drive footage was filmed
in Argentina but this location footage is expertly integrated into the main
feature in a fairly seamless manner.The
disloyalty shown by Lon, Hoby, Bess and (before long) a further Cordeen sister,
Alice (Muriel Franklin), soon drives Temple to distraction and he orders
assassins to seek out and punish his children.This results in some pretty good action scenes.However, director Albert Band saves his best
action scene for the show’s finale.A
subplot has the daughter (Ilaria Occhini) of a Northerner that Temple lynched
returning to town on a revenge mission.Her actions result in an impressively action-packed running shoot out
that sees Lon and Hoby taking on Temple, their other brothers and their
extended family in a fight to the death.

This unusual but well-paced and compelling little show is
quite thoughtfully plotted and well-acted for the most part.Joseph Cotten is convincing as the fanatical
Confederate Temple Cordeen and the lynching of a Northerner that he oversees at
the start of the film makes for a pretty disturbing scene.Gordon Scott is quite commanding as Lon and James
Mitchum really impresses as Hoby. Hoby
is the youngest of several Cordeen brothers and Mitchum does a great job of
telegraphing how a series of bitter experiences result in Hoby undergoing a
personal transformation: he starts the show as a good-natured individual and
ends it as a grizzled gunfighter.Franco
Nero gets to play a character who is more of an idealistic lover than a cynical
fighter here.There’s an obviously
“psychological” aspect attached to some of the characters’ motivations and
actions here and this serves to link the film to some of the more mature US
Westerns from the 1950s but the brutality found in the show’s action scenes is
unmistakably that of the nascent Spaghetti Western genre.Ultimately, this mix of approaches makes for
an interesting film.

Picture quality here falls between very good and
excellent and the presentation’s sound quality is excellent too.The show’s effective and at times quite
unusual soundtrack score (composer A. F. Lavagnino employs un-generic sounding keyboards
on a number of occasions) comes through loud and clear.

About Me

Born in Toledo, Ohio in 1946 I have a BA degree in American History from Cal St. Northridge. I've been researching the American West and western films since the early 1980s and visiting filming sites in Spain and the U.S.A. Elected a member of the Spaghetti Western Hall of Fame 2010.